Janosz Poha

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Janosz Poha (also known as Dr. Janosz Poha) was the head of the Restoration department of the Manhattan Museum of Art. He was Dana Barrett's boss and seemed to have a crush on her. He was also made into a servant of Vigo under his mind control, until the Ghostbusters freed him.

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Janosz was Dana's supervisor at the Manhattan Museum of Art; she was the only worker whom he did not berate for shoddy work (due to his crush on her). He was routinely turned down when he asked her out. He never gave up and considered having her assist him in more important restorations. He was surprised to learn Dana was planning to resign from the museum and return to the orchestra. While working on the restoration of a portrait of Vigo the Carpathian for a Romantic exhibit, the spirit of Vigo appeared to Janosz from within the painting. Vigo ordered Janosz to find a child for him to inhabit so that he might live again. After Janosz showed some reluctance Vigo used his magic on him to place Janosz under his control and perform his bidding without question. Janosz, now Vigo's servant decided that Dana's baby would be a suitable vessel. During the city-wide blackout, he paid a visit to Dana's apartment but he was refused entry.

Like Louis Tully, Janosz was jealous when Peter Venkman came to visit Dana at work. When Peter noticed the painting of Vigo, Janosz ordered him to leave. Janosz tried to do the same when the rest of the Ghostbusters came, but was less than successful. Vigo promised Janosz that if he could bring Oscar, Dana would be made his wife. Supernaturally powered, Janosz then kidnapped Oscar and after Dana arrived, the museum was encased in Psychomagnotheric Slime. Janosz attempted to convince Dana to marry him and help raise Vigo as their son.

When the Ghostbusters arrived just before midnight, Janosz said they were "like the buzzing of flies to him [Vigo]." Wasting no time, they hosed him with positively charged mood slime. He indeed woke up "feeling like a million bucks" and was hugged by Ray Stantz, who was also blasted with slime.

On January 2, 2011, it was revealed Janosz will be the incidental villain of the game and is related to one of the new rookies.[1]

Following the Ghostbusters' triumph over Vigo, Janosz Poha is committed to Parkview Psychiatric Hospital still covered in mood slime. Janosz is assigned to the same room as Ismael McEnthol. He empathizes with Ismael and the two become fast friends. Over the years, Ismael makes Janosz a part of his plan to revive Dumazu. After being discharged from Parkview, Janosz uses his credentials to get a job at the American Museum of Natural History, where a shard of the Relic of Nilhe is on display. Janosz steals it and returns to Parkview. Ismael takes it and goes back on his deal with Janosz, if he delivered the shard, Dumazu would give him Dana Barrett.

Janosz approaches the Ghostbusters and recounts what happened to the senior and junior teams. It is revealed that Janosz is the brother of Alan Crendall's mother and the family disowned Janosz after the Vigo incident. Alan holds nothing but disdain for Janosz but after Dumazu is defeated, he decides to forgive his uncle and make amends. Janosz is pleased and announces he has finally found the solution to his love woes, online dating.

Some years after the Vigo incident, Janosz is still committed to Parkview Psychiatric Hospital. He finally made a breakthrough of sorts and began painting again. However, he painted a depiction of "The Last Supper" ; where every figure had the visage of Ray Stantz. While speaking to the Psychiatric Doctor, Janosz "expressed" his feelings about Peter and Ray. The doctor decided it was for the best to double Janosz' dosage of Thorazine.

Before Christmas, Janosz was approached by Idulnas, who demanded his service. Janosz refused and watched as Vigo appeared on his depiction of Gainsborough's Blue Boy. Janosz saw through the ruse and Idulnas reiterated Janosz was needed because he was uniquely qualified for a summoning. Janosz repeatedly refused. Idulnas taunted him that he wanted to meddle with the "darkness" again and touch real power. Janosz refused again. Idulnas then threatened to flay the flesh from his bones then murder his sister and nephew Alan. Janosz capitulated and Idulnas possessed him. A few hours later, Janosz/Idulnas wrecked his room and painted a letters in Gozerian Alphabet on the wall. It was spell to summon The Collectors and have them kidnap the Ghostbusters. Janosz was restrained and staff believed he had a full-fledged break just as he was close to becoming a productive member of society again.

Months later, Dr. Cleese visited Janosz and asked about the design on the wall. After Cleese revealed it kept coming back after staff painted over it, Janosz went into an insane rant about damning four to save two. Cleese called the Ghostbusters for a consultation. Kylie Griffin answered and scheduled a consult for the next day in the afternoon. When Kylie questioned Janosz about the painting, he only answered, "They are paying" then Idulnas took over. When the other Ghostbusters arrived at the hospital, Janosz attempted to warn Kylie they shouldn't enter but Idulnas stopped him and took control. Once Kylie realized Idulnas exploited a loophole and was controlling the Collectors, she appealed to Janosz. Janosz took back control of his body in refusal to be used as a patsy by a supernatural being again. He beckoned Kylie to bring him some paint. Janosz altered the summoning spell and redirected the Collectors to capture Idulnas. Janosz survived the violent extraction but his mind was visibly damaged from the experience.

Even after Vigo transforms him into his minion, Janosz is pretty much the same artsy, somewhat pretentious egomaniac who is obsessed with winning the affections of Dana Barrett.

Subtlety is not one of Janosz' attributes. He has been seen in public openly talking to and even arguing and pleading with the painting of Vigo, apparently oblivious as to how crazy he appears to others.

Janosz has a flair for the melodramatic, as after being empowered by Vigo, he takes the form of a red eyed, spectral Nanny with a baby carriage when he abducts little Oscar Barrett. He even shows a protective side to him by making the baby comfortable and even attempting to make barricades to "protect" him from the Ghostbusters.

In an interview in Starlog magazine, Peter MacNicol himself described Janosz as not an evil guy, just very lonely and so desperate for Dana's affections that he was easily manipulated by Vigo. [citation needed]

The blackout scene at Dana's apartment was shot on a set. First, Peter MacNicol was filmed walking down a dimly lit walkway. As he walked, MacNicol moved his head side to side. To create the look of real light being illuminated, another pass was filmed. In it, Michael Chapman held a 2K at MacNicol's height then walked down the hall, panning the light from side to side. After a few takes done fast and slow, the scenes were edited together and both Chapman and the light were matted out. Pat Meyers helped defined the light beams by placing shards and particulate matter so it looked like real beams. Meyers lined up the beams so they tracked from MacNicol's eyebrows to the puddles of light on the walls. [2]

For the scene when Janosz kidnaps Oscar, Peter MacNicol was dressed in drag and photographed in front of a bluescreen. The arm stretch was achieved through a piece of tubing covered with costume fabric and rigged to slide down a pole. For the wider shots, a miniature rod puppet and buggy were photographed in front of a bluescreen and manipulated by character performers Bob Cooper and David Allen. [3]

There is a general misconception that Janosz' answer "the Upper West Side" in response to Peter's question "Johnny, where in the hell are you from, anyway?", implies that he was actually born in New York. This is, however, merely a joke playing on Janosz' misunderstanding of Peter's question (Peter is referring to Janosz' nationality, where as Janosz thinks he is referring to his residence). This is backed up by Peter's earlier taunt: "Well, you ain't gonna get a Green Card with that attitude pal".

At one point, Janosz Poha was not the one to kidnap Oscar. A two headed dragon, creatures from a hellish world, a phantom taxicab, a giant pigeon, a face on the Moon, a vapor rising from the street, billboard figures, gargoyles come to life, and a horrible Santa Claus were pitched. [4]

Janosz is the second Ghostbusters antagonist to get coated in goo at the end of a movie. The first being Walter Peck. He also shares a similarity to Louis Tully in the Dana obsessed nebbish turned villainous henchman regard.